Wordle fans across the globe woke up on February 11, 2026, to the latest five-letter challenge from The New York Times: puzzle #1698. For many, the daily ritual of deciphering Wordle’s clues has become a cherished part of their morning routine—a moment of quiet concentration before the day’s chaos. But today’s word, with its subtle hints and unique letter combination, had more than a few players scratching their heads. The answer? "VEGAN."
According to ABP Live, the puzzle’s clues were both straightforward and sneakily tricky: the word had two vowels, started with a "V," ended with an "N," featured five unique letters, and was associated with food and diets. One particularly telling hint was "No eggs, please," a gentle nudge toward a lifestyle choice that’s become increasingly common in recent years. Still, even with these clues, some players found themselves stumped, as the letter "V" is a rare starting point in English words, as noted by CNET.
For those unfamiliar, a vegan is someone who avoids all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and often even animal-derived goods like leather. As ABP Live explained, "A vegan is a person who does not eat meat or any animal products. That means no eggs, no milk, no butter, and no cheese. Many vegans also avoid using animal-based items like leather." This is a step beyond vegetarianism, which typically excludes meat but may include dairy and eggs. The opposite, of course, would be a carnivore—a diet based around meat consumption.
Wordle, for the uninitiated, is a deceptively simple game. Players have six tries to guess a hidden five-letter word. After each guess, the game gives feedback: green tiles for the correct letter in the correct spot, yellow for the correct letter in the wrong spot, and grey for letters not in the word at all. As ABP Live described, "You use these colour hints to fix your next guess. Remove the wrong letters. Move the yellow ones around. Keep the green ones locked in place." The aim is to solve the puzzle in as few guesses as possible, maintaining a winning streak that can become surprisingly addictive.
Today’s puzzle, while ultimately solvable, proved moderately challenging for many. According to The Wordle Review at The New York Times, testers averaged 4.3 guesses out of 6 to solve the puzzle, which they classified as "moderately challenging." Some players, perhaps, were thrown off by the uncommon starting letter or the food-related theme. Others may have been led astray by the lack of repeated letters—a feature that can sometimes trip up even seasoned solvers.
Hints for the day included a playful "Give me a consonant: G. Give me a vowel: A," as well as more direct nudges like "No eggs, please." Another clever tip shared by several outlets was that using the word "agent" as a starting guess would turn four letters yellow—helpful for those who rely on strategic openers to whittle down possibilities.
The word "VEGAN" is certainly not obscure, but its selection as the answer reflects a growing cultural awareness around plant-based diets and ethical eating. As Rock Paper Shotgun pointed out, "A vegan is someone who doesn't eat meat or consume other animal products, such as milk or eggs. Vegans typically don't use animal products, like leather, either." The choice of this word for a daily puzzle hints at Wordle’s ability to tap into timely topics and spark conversation—sometimes even beyond the confines of the game itself.
For those who struggled, it’s worth remembering that Wordle is as much about the journey as the destination. The game’s design encourages experimentation, logic, and a bit of linguistic luck. And if today’s word proved elusive, there’s always tomorrow’s puzzle. As ABP Live reassured readers, "Nice job if you guessed it right. If not, that’s okay, a new puzzle comes every day, and you can try again."
For those who like to keep track of trends, recent Wordle answers have included "SCENE" (February 10), "CELLO," "EMBED," "BLEAT," and "GAVEL." As Dexerto noted, Wordle rarely repeats answers in quick succession, so savvy players often keep a running list of recent solutions to avoid wasted guesses. Interestingly, on February 2, 2026, The New York Times began reintroducing older words into the answer pool, starting with "CIGAR"—the game’s very first solution. Still, players are unlikely to see any of the last ten answers pop up again so soon.
Wordle’s enduring popularity is no accident. Created by software engineer Josh Wardle as a simple family game during the pandemic, it quickly became a viral sensation. By late 2021, millions were playing daily, and its acquisition by The New York Times in early 2022 only cemented its place in digital culture. The game’s spoiler-free sharing feature—those now-iconic green, yellow, and grey grids—has made it a fixture on social media, where players compare results, swap hints, and commiserate over tricky words.
Of course, for some, the game is getting a bit too easy. For those craving a stiffer challenge, Wordle offers a "Hard Mode," which requires players to use revealed hints in all subsequent guesses. There are even "Ultra-Hard" rules for the truly devoted, where every guess must be a possible answer based on previous clues. And if that’s not enough, a host of spinoff games—like Worldle, Waffle, and Quordle—offer fresh twists on the formula.
But back to today’s puzzle. For those who guessed "VEGAN," congratulations are in order. For everyone else, the beauty of Wordle lies in its second chances. Each day brings a new word, a new challenge, and a fresh opportunity to test your wits. And who knows? Tomorrow’s answer might just be lurking in your breakfast, your bookshelf, or your next conversation.